Statistics from the Met Office suggest that around 10% of Britain is at risk of flooding.
Climate change is causing an increase in flooding around the world. It is predicted that the average amount of rainfall will rise by 30% by 2080. Along with melting glaciers and rising sea levels, this increased rainfall is affecting the globe.
Water has engulfed entire islands: by submerging inhabited land, it is posing a threat to people’s lives. Engineers have relied on protective measures, such as the construction of dams and reservoirs, diversion channels and gabions, for many years.
However, these approaches can be costly and inefficient. Not only do these sorts of defences require constant maintenance, they are only a temporary solution to a permanent problem.
Floating infrastructures have been suggested as a solution. They can be units that sit on dry land and rise with water levels or structures that sit on permanent bodies of water.
The latter kind has been proposed at the Royal Victoria Docks in London.
With floating infrastructures, a whole town could feasibly be built on a flood plain. This would make use of land that could not have previously been used due to risk of flooding.
Floating structures could also be built where environmental regulations prevent traditional structures from being constructed.
For instance, since the construction of floating structures does not require drilling into seabeds, they can be built in places off the coast.
By building on water, the need to build on protected land is also reduced.
Ramboll UK has conducted research that shows the construction of a floating house has a similar cost to the construction of a traditional one.
The company has also developed a corrosion-free reinforcement for concrete to improve the foundation design and life cycle of floating infrastructures.
The company has previously provided structural and engineering services for the floating cruise liner dock on Liverpool’s quayside, which was completed in 2007.
Find out more about Ramboll UK
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ value sales edged up +0.9% in July compared to the same month in 2023.
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bathrooms, Bedrooms & Washrooms, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Doors, Drainage, Hand Tools, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Health & Safety, Heating Systems, Controls and Management, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Kitchens, Landscaping, news, Paints, Pipes, Pipes & Fittings, Plant, Equipment and Hire, Plumbing, Power Tools, Publications, Research & Materials Testing, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire Protection, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Timber Buildings and Timber Products, Walls, Waste Management & RecyclingTo mark the start of Fire Door Safety Week 2024, Abloy UK has called for greater awareness and education of fire door compliance.
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Doors, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Posts, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire ProtectionLeading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has launched a new range of low-resistance, non-combustible metal fire airbricks.
Posted in Air Conditioning, Articles, Bricks & Blocks, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Innovations & New Products, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & RenovationSafe disposal of carpets and other textile flooring waste has just become easier for domestic households in the UK thanks to a new online resource launched by Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK).
Posted in Articles, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Facility Management & Building Services, Floors, Information Technology, Innovations & New Products, Interiors, Posts, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Waste Management & Recycling